


Protected

by arianapeterson19



Series: Avengers Shorts [14]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Engineer Tony Stark, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Rhodey, Sam Wilson's Wings, Tony Being Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 18:29:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5385974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arianapeterson19/pseuds/arianapeterson19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He didn't question why they were sitting on his couch so much as why they hadn't invited him to the fall of SHIELD.</p>
<p>OR</p>
<p>The one where it bothered the author that Tony wasn't called during Winter Soldier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protected

"So wait, you mean to tell me that SHEILD went and collapsed, you both were in the thick of it, part of the reason things went to hell in a hand basket was because of hacked technology, and no one thought to call me?" ranted Tony, throwing his hands in the air as he paced in front of Natasha and Steve, both of whom were sitting on a couch in his tower looking a little worse for wear.

"Do you really expect me to believe that you didn't know a single thing about that?" said Steve. "You, who took the time to hack into SHIELD's files in the middle of an alien invasion, didn't bother keeping an eye on the organization you clearly don't trust?"

"I was a little busy, Cap," snapped Tony, glaring daggers at him. "You do realize that I have a company that I am responsible for, right? Plus my own personal projects. Also, I have new tech to invent and test every single day. Yes, I have SHIELD monitored but I'm not interested in every damn thing they do."

"We didn't invite Clint or Banner either, if that makes you feel better," said Natasha with a lazy yawn.

"Yes but Hawkeye is in Alaska on some top secret mission that really should be better protected and Banner is off being a goody-two shoes, so of course you wouldn't invite either of them. But I was right there! You should have called!"

"Stop acting like such a girl," said Natasha.

Tony pouted and sat down.

"But can you fix them?" asked Steve.

"Yes I can fix them," said Tony. "But next time I expect a formal invitation to the world saving party. I'm tired of stumbling into these things. I'm a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist for crying out loud! I deserve a damn invitation."

"It's not like you invited us to help when the Mandarin was after you."

"That's different, I was supposed to be dead. Also, JARVIS was down most of the time, I couldn't contact you. Besides, you're Captain Fucking America, I thought you'd show up when the President of the United States got fucking kidnapped! Excuse me for having to do your damn job."

They glared at each other for several long, drawn out minutes in which Natasha lost interest and fell asleep, exhaustion coupled with being in a safe environment taking over.

"I'm sorry about not being there when you needed me," said Steve softly, looking down. "And I'm sorry I didn't call for your help when SHIELD went to hell. I didn't think."

"Don't let it happen again," said Tony with a curt nod, which was as good as an apology as he was willing to give.

Tony picked up the mangled bits of wings, tossed a blanket over Natasha's resting form, and nudged his own abandoned glass of water towards Steve, and left for his workshop.

"He's not such an ass after all," muttered Steve to himself, picking up the water.

"He's the most caring ass I know but he's still an ass," mumbled Natasha, keeping her eyes closed. "That's why we came here, remember?"

Steve nodded, took a drink of the water, and went to the kitchen, intent on helping himself to the food he was sure Tony would have. The genius may not have thought eating on a regular basis was important to his survival, but Steve knew the Rhodey character he'd heard of knew better.

(in the workshop)

Tony picked away at the wings as he eyeballed the original plans from the so called secure basis he had broken in to.

"I can make this better," declared Tony to JARVIS.

He liked to talk while he was working. JARVIS recorded his verbal notes and quite frankly, Tony just seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice more than silence. He hated silence. Silence reminded him too much of his past and his past was not a place he wanted to visit, and wanted to visit lot's of places.

"First, get rid of that pesky arm control of the wings," said Tony, waving away the control on his display. "That's just a pain in the ass. Recalibrate the equilibrium for a smaller pack as well, say one third the current size. Also, there has to be a better material for the ligaments. Try that stuff I made Black Widows cord from."

Tony worked well into the next day on the wings before he was satisfied with the result enough to give them back to Steve.

"Here you go, Cap," said Tony tossing a much smaller, lighter pack on to the table in front of Steve, who was eating a late lunch. "I took the liberty of making it not suck."

"Thanks," said Steve.

"You're not thinking about growing wings, are you? Or is this for your new best friend?"

"Jealous?" asked Steve, cocking an eyebrow to match his smirk.

"You wish, Spangles."

"It's for Sam, yes."

"When do I get to meet the Falcon in person? I feel like I've done enough reading of his classified files-don't give me that look, if they didn't want me to read them, they would have been better protected- to know the man on a level far more intimate than casual acquaintance."

"Tony, you don't even like people," said Rhodey, entering the kitchen as if he owned the place. "Stop pestering the old man."

"Rhodey, do you know Sam Wilson?" asked Tony, immediately turning his attention to his best friend. "You have to know him, he's in the military, or at least, he was. He's not anymore. Now he fancies himself as Captains side kick. Did you know we get side kicks now that we're super hero's? Because no one told me."

"No one in their right mind would ever sign up to be your sidekick, Stark," laughed Rhodey.

"I don't let people sign up, that's how you end up with crazy fan boys. No, you're my sidekick, obviously. I mean, you stole my suit and painted it different colors. That's pretty sidekick-ish to me."

"Yes, I know Sam," groaned Rhodey, knowing he was fighting a losing battle and questioning why he was friends with Tony in the first place. "We're actually pretty good friends."

"You have friends other than me? I thought I was special."

"You are special. You're the one who doesn't have any friends."

"I have friends."

"Pepper is your CEO, she's paid to put up with you. JARVIS and your robots don't count."

"Harley-"

"You can't count ten year olds who live across the country from you that you spoke with for one weekend."

"Ass!" yelled Tony, stomping off to pout in his room like the mature adult he was.

"You must be the famous Rhodey," said Steve, offering his hand to the man. "Steve Rogers."

"Colonel James Rhodes," said Rhodey, shaking the man's hand firmly. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too. Tony talks about you all the time."

"Probably unflattering things."

"Actually, he adores you."

Rhodey paused.

"He said that?"

"Not in so many words," admitted Steve. "But you can tell in the way he talks about you. It's like he thinks you hung the moon."

"He's a good guy," said Rhodey with a fond nod. "An ass, but a good guy all the same."

"I'm learning that."

"You should have learned it a long time ago," said Rhodey an edge to his voice that cut into Steve.

Steve shifted uncomfortably.

"So um, you heard about our argument on the helicarrier?" said Steve, rubbing the back of his neck that was suddenly too warm.

"You can't just say things like that to Tony," said Rhodey, defensive of his best friend. "He'll laugh it off but it kills him. Do you have any idea about what that man's been through? Cap, you got to sleep away the years that Howard changed but Tony had to live them first hand. You got turned into something bigger and stronger before you went overseas, which you volunteered to do, but Tony was forced into it by himself, without training or protection, and force his way out in a stream of fire. He's tried to be better since then. He shut down his weapons department immediately, he's cleaned up his act, he's tried every damn day to make up for things he never did and you have the nerve to tell him he's worthless? You were his childhood hero and you shattered that man. And yet here you stand, oblivious and in his home, which he didn't even question when you showed up needing a place to crash. And you're just now discovering he's a good guy?"

Steve had the good grace to look ashamed because everything Rhodey had said was right. He knew nothing about Tony Stark other than the rumors he'd heard and the few interactions they'd had. Each interaction had shown him an abrasive man with a brilliant mind and several lifetimes worth of words to say but they had also shown him a man who was not only willing to lay down on the wire but had done so multiple times. Tony had claimed he would cut the wire but Steve had quickly come to realize that the man simply did not believe in no-win scenarios.

Rhodey nodded, satisfied at the guilt Captain America showed for his actions. Then he bracingly put a hand on the teller man's shoulder.

"Lucky for you, Tony doesn't hold a grudge for the type of shit you pulled," said Rhodey, not mentioning the fact that Tony didn't hold a grudge because the billionaire honestly felt like he deserved it, because that part went without saying. "Unlucky for you, I do. So be careful with him, Cap. Because he may be willing to let you treat him that way, but I sure as hell am not."

Steve nodded his understand and Rhodey left, saying something about dragging his best friends sulking ass out to a charity function.

"He'd do it, too," said Natasha quietly.

"Shit!" cursed Steve, turning to face the assassin who had silently made her way to the other door to lean against the door frame. "Do what?"

"When Tony went missing for three months, abducted in the desert by a terrorist group, Rhodes did nothing but search for that insufferable man. He would have no problem making good on his threat should you hurt Tony again."

Strangely enough, Steve found that he wasn't worried by the threat, not because he felt like it wasn't a threat-he was sure Rhodey could kick his ass-but because he had no desire to ever harm the billionaire again. In fact, as he inspected the recently repaired and improved set of wings, he found himself quickly joining Rhodey in the pursuit to destroy anyone who would try to damage the intolerable ass that was the teams resident genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.


End file.
